It Never Rains In Southern California
by Tonyahuqt03
Summary: Letty thinks back to her childhood while in Berlin.


Letty had been in Berlin for only two months but the city was becoming her least favorite she had travelled to. She hated the city it was cold, rainy, and cold. She was a "Cali" girl she was used to sunshine and good times. She sat on the window seal looking out at the peopling milling about living, laughing, loving. She breathed on the window making a fog and she etched her name. She watched as the fog slowly faded and all that remained was the smudge from her finger. She hummed "It Never Rains (in Southern California)" the "Tony! Toni! Tone!" 1990s remake of the Albert Hammond original, taking her back to the days of her childhood.

...

Six year old Letty would sit on the stool in her grandfather's garage in New Jersey watching him tinker on his 1966 sky blue Pontiac GTO. She was his "assistant" handing him the tools when he asked for it. They would work on that car for hours until her mother called them in for dinner. Then he would take her hand in his large one and go into the house. He would help her wash her hands making sure all the dirt under her nails were gone. "Leticia, you know when you have done a good days work?" He asked her in his thick Dominican accent. She shook her head. "When you can't get the dirt from under your finger nails no matter how much you scrub." He chuckled as he gave their hands one more soaping before drying them. Ever since then Letty never minded a little dirt under her nails.

Those days were her happiest. But like most things good in her life they those days in her grandfather's garage didn't last long. He started forgetting things. Simple things like the difference between a beam torque wrench and a click. He would get her mixed up with her mother, calling her Isabella. One day she was riding in his 1966 sky blue Pontiac GTO when he went the wrong way down a one way street. She remembered on the panic in his face when he realized what he had done. She remembered his sturdy arm coming across her chest when they were barreling towards a station wagon. What she wished she didn't remember was the blood trickling down his forehead, his heavy breathing, the look of shame that displayed on his handsome face. "Leticia," he breathed. "Remember to be a good girl..." he paused a moment to catch his breath. A mischievous smile graced his face, "but not too good."

Letty wore a sky blue dress to his funeral along with a cast on her left arm. The doctors said she was lucky that she wasn't hurt more. Letty had told them that muscle doesn't dent that if you put in the wrench work and get a little dirt under your nails that Detroit muscle can last a life time. When her family moved to California they didn't take the car. Letty asked her mother one day sitting in the kitchen of their new home in Los Angeles what happened to the 1966 sky blue Pontiac GTO. Her mother shrugged and told her she didn't know, that it was probably in some scrap yard. Seeing the sorrow in her young face her mother kissed her cheek softly, "Why don't you go get some sunshine. There's a little girl you age up the street. Go make friends, Leticia."

Letty sighed and made the trek up the street. She had seen the girl in question in her blue jeans and hot pink tee shirt with two hot pink ribbons keeping her dark brown hair in pig-tails, double dutching with some other girls as her family drove by the day they moved in. The girl wasn't playing out front so Letty turned to leave when she heard music playing in the back yard. She went to see if the girl was there but what she found was a gutted out Ford Charger. Bits and pieces of car splayed out on the tiny garage floor. "Hello there." A man with a baritone voice called out behind her. Letty jumped at the sound. "Are you one of Mia's friends?" He asked.

Letty shook her head. She tucked her tangled locks behind her ears suddenly becoming shy as the stranger sized her up. "You moved in up the street right?"

Letty nodded. Letty thought she heard thunder and looked to the sky, but it was only the man's laughter. "You don't say much do you?"

"You gonna fix her up?" Letty asked pointing to the dismantled car.

The man nodded. "Yep me and my boy Dom."

Letty nodded and walked to the mess. She crouched down to the engine block. "It's got a crack in it." She said pointing. The man came came over and examined where Letty was pointing.

"So it does."

"Probably for the best anyway. You wanna put in eight-cylinder Hemi engine anyways give you more power." Letty walked around some more. "And maybe two two barrel carburetors." she advised.

Once again Letty heard the sound of the man's thunderous laughter. "What's your name little one?" He asked.

"Letty."

"I'm Nicolas. Nice to meet you." He replied beaming. "Dominic get out here!" The man called out. Not a minute later a tall, mopped head boy, wearing denim overalls and a black tee shirt came running out the house.

"Dom, I want you to meet Letty, Letty this is my son Dom."

"Hey." The boy replied.

"Hey." Letty answered.

"Letty suggested we put in a 8V hemi in the Charger. Whatta you think, son?"

The boy smiled. "I think Letty's my new best friend."

The song "It Never Rains (in Southern California)" the "Tony! Toni! Tone!" 1990s remake of the Albert Hammond original played softy in the background.

…

"Hey Lett!" a voice called breaking her from her revery. "You ready to do this?"

Letty stared out the window a bit more watching the Germans go about their day. She spotted a young couple in a passionate embrace. She breathed again on the window and wrote, "Ride or Die" over the kissing couple.

She turned and gave a slight smile to her companion. "Let's make some money."

* * *

><p>It's been a while so this may be a grammar mess. I had this story baby while reading RedmanChevvy's a Battle Worth Fighting For which is great read btw. Thanks to gabriellarourke96 who made me remember that I love writing this fandom and it's been too long since I've written Letty &amp; Dom.<p>

This may or may not be a standalone I haven't decided. Hoped you liked it, and I **hope** that it spurs some other folks to **finish/update** *cough* geea2, goddessofbirth, Tashana Ambrosia *cough* whose stories I just found and shamefully haven't left a review. So if you read this and you know whom I speak of, I love your stories and I'm horrible at reviewing (hangs head in shame) but promise to get better. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

-Tonya


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